The 12 Days of a Writer’s Christmas (Part One)

by Will Viharo

​Writers don’t typically conform to the norm when it comes to regular work schedules. Holidays might be a time to take a break from the literary grind and spend time with family and friends, even for our rare breed. But not always.
 
For many of us, it’s precious time away from the “day job” to focus more on what we truly love, if only for a couple of weeks, our idea of a “vacation.”
 
Here are the first six daily ways for conscientious wordsmiths to spend the traditional 12 Days of Christmas – without alienating your loved ones more than you have already…

Each of these suggestions will only take an hour or so a day, most likely much less, allowing you plenty of time for all those familial and social obligations, while also appeasing your inner muse, laying down the framework for the coming year, and maybe meeting some deadlines, even if they’re self-imposed.

1. Write Some Creative Christmas Cards – you can practice your craft and appease the needs of those on your annual season’s greetings list by composing a hopeful poem, festive flash fiction, or other short form of written salutations that shows off your skills and proves all those social engagements you blew off the previous year (and the coming year) aren’t for nothing. And yes, yuletide emails are acceptable these days.
2. Outline Some Ideas – you’ve had some slam-dunk concepts swimming around your head for months now. Now’s the write to jot them down in a list alongside your litany of lucky gift-recipients.  This won’t consume nearly as much of your holiday agenda as trying to start, much less finish, an entire article or story, but you’ll still feel like you’re accomplishing something positive and proactive.
3. Catch Up On Your Reading – while the basics of creative writing can be taught (and journalism certainly requires some degree, as it were, of formal education), there is nothing more edifying or inspirational than reading the work of other authors, particularly if they’re accomplished in their respective fields, and you will feel like you’re actually absorbing useful information even as you’re entertained.
4. Post a Blog – even if you don’t have a regular one. Now is the perfect time to start! Whether it’s on Weebly, Wordpress, Google Blogger, or the myriad of other platforms out there, a blog is the perfect way to communicate with (or introduce yourself) to your existing and potential audiences simultaneously. Blogs can be of any length, even a paragraph, so not a big time investment is always required, and in fact, most online reading is done on the fly, so the shorter the post, the better. Then you can share the link via your social media network (Facebook, Twitter, etc). It’s very cost effective self-promotion.
5. Offer a Sale On Your Books – everyone is looking for a bargain, especially at the last minute. Reduce the prices of your eBooks to .99, then use that as an excuse to remind everyone you know via your social network that they still exist, and now’s the best time to get ‘em while they’re super cheap!
6. Gift Some eBooks – for this you will need the Kindle email address of your intended reader, but it’s easy to do once you request and receive that information, which they can locate under the  “Manage Your Devices” page on the “Manage Your Kindle” menu (for instance, mine is [email protected], not that I’m hinting…). All Kindle books have a “Give a Gift” option on their product pages, and then you simply follow the simple instructions. Giving away digital copies of your book is a virtual stocking stuffer that also works as a crafty method of self-promotion, too, since when they send a “thank you” email, you can respond with, “You can thank me with a review on Amazon…;)”

 
On Christmas Eve I’ll post the other six, but hopefully you’ll be too busy writing to read it.
 
But I doubt it.
 
What are some ways you choose to spend the holidays without getting behind in your writing?

PHOTO: KEVIN DOOLEY